The Upendra Yadav-led faction of Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) has claimed that nearly two-thirds of the members attended the party's Central Committee meeting that kicked off in Birgunj on Wednesday.
According to Forest Minister and JSP central member Pradeep Yadav, 300 members were present on the second day of the meeting on Thursday.
“Our Central Committee is 499 strong. Nearly 50 of them are not in the party for various reasons,” said Yadav. “Around 300 of us are already present here. Central members continue to arrive.”
During the meeting, central members demanded disciplinary action against those who had betrayed the party and engaged in anti-party activities during the local level election, said Yadav.
They were of the view that Federal Council Chairman Baburam Bhattarai’s activities were against the party’s statute, he added.
According to Yadav, 19 federal lawmakers from the party attended the meeting in Birgunj.
Bhattarai had called a parallel gathering of party workers in Jadibuti of Kathmandu. Besides Bhattarai, Mahindra Raya Yadav was the only federal lawmaker present at the gathering.
Bhattarai and Mahindra Raya Yadav did not attend the meeting in Birgunj while lawmakers Rajkishor Yadav and Amrita Agrahari have remained neutral, according to JSP executive member Yuvaraj Karki.
He claimed that only seven members were not present in Tuesday’s executive meeting.
“Baburam Bhattarai, Mahindra Raya Yadav, Ramesh Yadav, Ganga Narayan Shrestha and Dambar Khatiwoda did not come to the executive meeting,” said Karki. “Raj Kishorji and Amritaji have not gone anywhere. They have said that they are against split.”
